August 28, 2020
The message of Deuteronomy is one that the church desperately needs to hear today. These final words of Moses given to the children of Israel as they prepared to enter into the Promised Land serve as a warning, an encouragement, and a charge. Through them, God exposes the idolatry of our hearts and calls us to give all of our love, worship, and devotion to Him alone in every area of our lives! Moses warns the people that when they enter the land there will be things that compete with God for their attention, their affections and their worship. We, too, have hundreds of things that compete for our hearts each and every day. In this book, God teaches us how to properly respond to the amazing grace He has given us by giving Him our undivided allegiance, our whole hearts and our whole lives. Over the next 34 days, let’s seek this ancient way together as a church!
In this chapter Moses gives laws concerning proper sacrifices, dealing with idolaters in the land, solving legal cases that are too difficult for the local authorities to handle, and how the king who the Lord chooses for Israel should conduct himself. In all of these things it is stressed once more that God’s people are to be holy; they are to live and worship and rule in a way that is so different from the nations around them, in a way that reflects the character and holiness of their God!
In verse 1 Moses tells the people that, when they offer sacrifice to the Lord, they must not offer an animal that has any defect or blemish, because to do so is an abomination to the Lord. The animals they offered were to be spotless, without fault of any kind. They were to do this out of reverence and worship towards God; because He is holy and incomparably great, He deserves the best of what we could offer Him, and offering Him anything less than that demonstrates a blatant disregard for His glory!
What was true for Israel then is true for us now: when we offer our worship to the Lord, we should be giving Him the absolute best that we have! In our busy schedules today, many of us struggle to make having time with God a priority, and even when we do it we’re so tired or so focused on getting to the next thing that we are hardly being still in His Holy presence. Why are we so often content, even happy with ourselves, when we give God merely the scraps of our time and attention?
The Lord is clear in this passage: He wants our all, our everything, the very best that we have to offer to Him. He has not withheld anything from us, not even His own Son; will you then withhold anything from Him?
Deuteronomy 17
17 “You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the Lordyour God.
2 “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, 3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, 4 and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. 6 On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges
8 “If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns that is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place that the Lord your God will choose. 9 And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision. 10 Then you shall do according to what they declare to you from that place that the Lord will choose. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they direct you. 11 According to the instructions that they give you, and according to the decision which they pronounce to you, you shall do. You shall not turn aside from the verdict that they declare to you, either to the right hand or to the left. 12 The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. 13 And all the people shall hear and fear and not act presumptuously again.
Laws Concerning Israel’s Kings
14 “When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lordhas said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.
18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- What are some ways in which you tend to withhold the best you have to offer from God?
Dear Heavenly Father,
This world has become so fast paced that it is becoming more and more difficult to find the time to get everything achieved. We need to prioritize our lives so that we can give the most important things our best. When we put You at the head of our lists, then everyone else will follow behind. Help us to focus on giving our best to You and then You will give us the strength to do all the other things we need to do. You, only, deserve our highest praise and adoration, as You are the author and giver of our lives. Thank You for everything that You have provided for me. I owe it all to You. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
Gracias mi padre amado por tu amor y misericordia gracias a ti nos ayuda día a día a superar este COVID que ha causado tantas muertes y a nosotros nos has mantenido en vida Gracias padre infinitamente ayúdanos a ser mejor cada día y buscar más de tú presencia eres nuestro Rey SEÑOR de Señores nuestro padre celestial a ti la gloria por los siglos de los siglos en nombre y por amor de tu hijo amado amén ?
Father, you are the creator of all. I have breath and life because of you. Thank you for eternal life.
Challenge me today through the Holy Spirit to share the good news. Enable me to speak with boldness about your power and glory.
Father, it is your desire that no one be lost. Let’s go together and find one more for Jesus.
For it is in His name I pray, Amen.
Thank you, God, for all of my blessings. Help me to focus on you today. You come first above everything else in my life.
I will not turn aside from the Word of God, to the right or to the left.
Thank You Heavenly Father for ALL your many Blessings, I am weak but you are my Salvation and strength! Praying for CFBC, our Country, my Family and Friends, and a solution for the Virus!
Amen
Thank you Lord for this day. May I use it to show You honor, and glorify You! Please forgive my sins and half heated efforts serving You, and bringing the best to You! In Jesus name Amen.
Lord, help me set aside my agenda, for yours, because your plans are best, and your plans are what I am to give my best too.
Amen????
thank you for all the blessing ! amen
Oh God what is man that you reach down from heaven and care so much about him.
You are so great God and you deserve much more than we can give you. All you ever wanted was for us to love you back, Is it your fault that you are a Holy God and desire your people to be loyal and try to be holy . Help us in our weakness dear Lord help us and strengthen us. we pray the. Forgive us Oh Lord, Heal our land. Drive Satan away from us and help us love as you love in Jesus name we pray Amen!!!
My Great I Am, the one that was, is, and will forever be, may your name be praised in Jesus name. Father, you spoke and still speaking, help my to set aside all that entagles, help my to focus more on what you are speaking in my heart. Father forgive me when I have allowed the busyness of life take precedent over my time with you. I love you Lord, thank you for loving me first. It is in Jesus name I pray with thanksgiving ???. Amen
Our presidents (kings) often ignore this chapter and seek the office to enrich themselves. We need leaders who will be content to live as common people.